Jpc Opposes Bids To Dump In Plainfield Two Companies Want To Bring Garbage To Grand Central Site

March 29, 1985|by TIM DARRAGH, The Morning Call

The Joint Planning Commission of Lehigh-Northampton Counties last night objected to two companies from outside the Lehigh Valley dumping their wastes at the Grand Central Landfill in Plainfield Township.

In addition, the JPC voiced approval of a second Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnel through Blue Mountain.

The commission approved two letters to DER opposing plans by Merck Sharp & Dohme, a Montgomery County pharmaceuticals manufacturer, and A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co., a Bucks County corn syrup manufacturer, to bring their wastes to Grand Central.

According to the JPC, the Merck Sharp & Dohme operation would generate 1,400 tons a year of waste, mostly incinerator residue.

The A.E. Staley waste was reported to be about 25,000 tons of carbon ash and coal ash scrubber waste.

In both cases, Chief Planner Allen O'Dell wrote to the state Department of Environmental Resources (DER), noting that the companies' wastes "represent a considerable volume . . . from an area which has not utilized waste disposal facilities in our two counties in the past. Theaddition of these waste streams . . . would further aggravate our shortfall of waste disposal capacity."

Planner Olev Taremae recommended that Staley "look to put (the waste ash) in quarries if it can be done in an environmentally safe manner." O'Dell's letter indicated that method of disposal has been used safely in the past.

The JPC is regularly asked to give its opinion to the DER concerning applications to add waste to area landfills.

The JPC also opposed a plan by Tyler Pipe Co. of Macungie to dump almost 10,000 tons of non-hazardous waste, including slag and sand, in the Chrin Landfill. The Tyler plan is before the DER.

Leon Q. Neimeyer, purchasing and industrial relations manager for Tyler, told the JPC that, in the past, the wastes have been used as fill for roads and playgrounds. However, subsequent DER regulations prohibit everything but disposing of the waste in a landfill.

JPC members seemed to sympathize with Neimeyer but approved the JPC staff comments to oppose the application because the Chrin landfill is full.

In other business, the JPC received an informational report listing the costs and benefits of building a bypass or a second tunnel for the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Blue Mountain. JPC members were not required to take action, but voted to write the letter saying that, if any action is taken, the JPC would support the less disruptive tunnel option.

Jim Creedon, director of the Lehigh County Department of Planning and Development, also made a presentation on the county's pretreatment plant proposal. No action was required on the issue.